Former IKEA chief executive officer Mikael Ohlsson has joined the board of directors of Lindéngruppen.

1

September

2014

Ohlsson, 56, served as IKEA president and CEO from 2009 to 2013 and spent a 35-year career at the global furniture chain, including 18 years in the executive management group.

He is currently a member of the boards of Volvo Car Corporation, the Swedish automaker, and IKANO SA, a business group owned by the family of IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad.

Resident in the Netherlands, Ohlsson has acquired extensive international experience during long spells working outside his native Sweden and home city of Helsingborg.

Sustainable mindset

He expressed excitement about working with Lindéngruppen as "a very well run, international business with a responsible way of thinking based on long-term ownership and a sustainable mindset".

"My view is that you can do good and successful business at the same time as you contribute in a small but step-by-step way to society and to the planet based on a sustainable approach."Ohlsson said IKEA and Lindéngruppen shared a commitment to financial prudence and a long-term way of working.

The two companies also held similar views of society and the importance of nurturing people and working throughout the value chain in a responsible way.

Growth and development

"When I joined IKEA in 1979 the company was smaller than Lindéngruppen is today," he said.

"What I saw then and what I see with Lindéngruppen is the ability to be long term and create the business. The opportunities for growth and development are very good."

Jenny Lindén Urnes, chairman of the Lindéngruppen board of directors, said: "I am delighted that Mikael has joined our board. His broad global experience and values based leadership will be very relevant for Lindéngruppen. I warmly welcome Mikael and very much look forward to working with him."